Pope Leo XIV begins his journey to Latin America in the continent’s most secularised country
Pope Leo XIV will begin his apostolic journey to Latin America this Friday, 6 November, in Uruguay, a country that stands out as an exception within the Latin American religious landscape. It will be the first papal visit to the country since that of John Paul II in 1988, and also the first time Leo XIV himself sets foot on Uruguayan soil.
According to data from a survey cited by Cardinal Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, during an international press conference organised by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), 33% of Uruguayans identify as Catholic, while 28% believe in God without belonging to any religion, another 28% describe themselves as agnostic or atheist, and the remaining 11% belong to other religious denominations.
Secularisation is deeply rooted in the country’s culture. Since 1919, Christmas has officially been known as Family Day, while Holy Week is referred to as Tourism Week. Nevertheless, the Cardinal also stressed that the Church carries out its mission in a pluralistic and democratic society, where it enjoys the freedom to act and maintains a presence throughout the country.
The Archbishop of Montevideo described the Uruguayan Catholic community as a Church that is “poor and free, small and beautiful”, adding, with regard to the challenges this entails, including from an economic perspective: “I like to say that, in this context, the Church in Uruguay keeps rowing and rowing.”
A Church that offers answers
One of the most significant moments of the visit will take place on Saturday, 7 November, when Leo XIV meets the community of Casavalle, a neighbourhood of Montevideo, at the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The area faces significant social challenges, but it is also home to an extraordinary concentration of Catholic initiatives. According to Cardinal Sturla, within just a few streets there are around twenty Church-run works, including parishes, chapels and social projects dedicated to housing, education, care for the elderly and job training.
The Cardinal also highlighted a phenomenon that is surprising the Church in Uruguay: the growing number of young adults and adults approaching the Catholic faith, many of whom had previously had no contact with the Church. Some had been baptised as children but later drifted away, while others had never received baptism.
According to Sturla, these are people who explored different paths before discovering the Catholic faith.
“I looked in many places and now I have found the truth,” the Cardinal explained, quoting the words of those requesting baptism, First Communion or Confirmation.
Sturla hopes that the Pope’s visit will help strengthen this renewed interest in the faith: “The Pope’s visit can give a strong boost to a Church that, as I often say, keeps rowing and rowing, and from time to time receives a breeze that fills its sails and helps it move forward.”
A message of hope for the whole of society
Under the motto “I bring you good news of great joy”, Leo XIV’s visit will take place from 6 to 8 November and will include events in Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida before continuing on to Argentina and Peru.
Sturla hopes that the Pontiff’s message will reach far beyond the Catholic community. In a society where, according to the archbishop, many people experience a loss of meaning and purpose in life, he hopes that the Pope’s visit will help bring hope and present faith as a source of joy to those who are searching for answers.
As he noted during ACN’s press conference, surveys suggest that around 60% of Uruguayans are looking forward to the visit: “We are a country where the Pope’s visit can be a source of hope for all Uruguayans, believers and non-believers alike,” the Cardinal said.
ACN’s support for a Church with limited resources
The Church in Uruguay has very limited financial resources and depends to a large extent on the solidarity of others to carry out its pastoral mission. One of its challenges is maintaining the presence of Catholic education in schools, especially as some religious congregations face difficulties in continuing to manage their institutions due to the declining number and ageing of their members.
Aid to the Church in Need has accompanied the Church in Uruguay for many years in addressing these and other challenges. Between 2021 and October 2026, the foundation allocated more than €1.6 million to 111 projects in the country, including support for priests, religious formation, faith-education initiatives in schools, and the construction and renovation of Church infrastructure.
On the occasion of Leo XIV’s visit, ACN is supporting a special initiative aimed at bringing the Pope’s message beyond the official celebrations through informational and audiovisual materials. The project seeks to bring the Church closer to Uruguayan society and make the visit an opportunity for encounter and renewal of faith.
Recommended
